Artemisia Annua (qinghao): a Pharmacological Review

Artemisia annua L., also known as sweet wormwood, sweet annie, sweet sagewort and annual wormwood (Chinese: qngho), is a common type of wormwood that is native to temperate Asia, but naturalized throughout the world, and that belongs to the family of the Asteraceae. Currently, Artemisia annua is the source for the production of artemisinin and semi-synthetic artemisinin derivatives (including dihydroartemisinin, artesunate, artemether and arteether) that are used for the production of combination therapies for treatment of malaria (ACTs = Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy). Animal studies suggested that artemisinin and related compounds inhibit tumor growth and metastasis. However, there is no reliable evidence from clinical trials at the moment that effects from animal studies translate into benefits for cancer patients. Experiences from malaria treatment indicate a good tolerability of artemisinin-based drugs. However, there are two case reports with severe adverse effects if artemisinin-based drugs were used at higher doses. INTRODUCTION: Artemisia annua is an annual herb native in Asia, especially in China. The name of the plant is Qinghao. It has become naturalized in many countries all over the world, like Argentina, Bulgaria, France, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Spain and USA 1, . Artemisia annua L., also known as sweet wormwood, sweet annie, sweet sagewort and annual wormwood and belongs to the family of the Asteraceae with great therapeutic and economic importance. It is well recognized wind pollinated cosmopolitan genus, chiefly spread in temperate areas of mid to high latitudes of the northern hemisphere, settled in arid and semiarid environments landscape and has only few representatives in the southern hemisphere . A. annua is well-known medicinal plant for being as a source of antimalarial compound artemisinin (Qinghaosu), which is a cadinane-type sesquiterpene lactone with an endoperoxide bridge that presently is the most potent and efficacious compound against chloroquine and quinine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum and other malaria-causing parasites 1, . Beside antimalarial effects, A. annua has biological activities such as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory, cytokininlike and antitumor effects . Plant description: It is the annual herb native to Asia, most probably China. Occurs naturally as part of steppe vegetation in the northern parts of Chahar and Suiyuan provinces in China, at 1000 to 1500 m above sea level. Now naturalized in many countries including the United States 6, . Correspondence to Author: